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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mine — for digging
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hand — in cards
  17. season — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. season — of the year
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com